Mathis needs to prove himself all over again after his sophomore season was pretty much lost to an offseason foot injury suffered while riding a motorcycle. Once he returned, he suffered a hamstring problem that lasted through to May's organized team activities. His commitment to conditioning has come under question, and he'll need to change some minds during training camp. In third-round draft pick Jacoby Jones, the Texans have someone who can do everything Mathis does, including return kicks. Mathis suffered a stress reaction in his lower leg and was placed on injured reserve in Oct. 2007.

2006

Mathis became one the league's most dangerous kick return threats and is slated for similar duty this season, but not before he recovers from fracturing his foot in an offseason motorcycle accident. He scored two return touchdowns in 2005 and averaged 28.6 yards per return, so there's some special teams value here. He's not expected to get a lot of snaps as a wideout, but he's quick and could be an exciting option in the passing game if the opportunity presents itself. Because of the injury, he's not expected to return until about Week 5 or so.

2005

Hampton has been electric in training camp -- both as kick returner and wideout. A hamstring injury has slowed his progress somewhat, but the speedster is expected to make the roster. He is the leading candidate to return kickoffs and is also getting comfortable on the punt return team.